Adaptive financial advisor

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an adaptive financial system. One of the methods includes receiving, from a user, a selected lifestyle archetype of a user, wherein the selected lifestyle archetype identifies a predetermined allocation of income and spending. The method includes monitoring financial activities of the user. The method also includes providing feedback to the user based on the monitoring and the selected lifestyle archetype.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application62/075,413, filed on Nov. 5, 2014, entitled “ADAPTIVE FINANCIALADVISOR,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and U.S.Provisional Patent Application 62/120,638, filed on Feb. 25, 2015,entitled “ADAPTIVE FINANCIAL ADVISOR,” incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Individuals create a budget as a finance plan that describes how theywill use their income. The budget can allocate income towards expenses,savings, and debt repayment. Generally a budget is created by looking atpast spending and projecting that information and spending pattern intothe future.

Some individuals fail to create a budget. Some individuals who create abudget fail to allocate their income according to the budget.Individuals spend more than they earn, driving themselves deeper intodebt which can requires more of their income to be spent servicing thedebt, which in turns leaves less income available.

SUMMARY

In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described inthis specification can be embodied in methods that include the actionsof receiving, from a user, a selected lifestyle archetype of a user,wherein the selected lifestyle archetype identifies a predeterminedallocation of income and spending. The methods include the action ofmonitoring financial activities of the user. The methods also includethe action of providing feedback to the user based on the monitoring andselected lifestyle archetype.

Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems,apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computerstorage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods.A system of one or more computers can be configured to performparticular actions by virtue of having software, firmware, hardware, ora combination of them installed on the system that in operation causesor cause the system to perform the actions. One or more computerprograms can be configured to perform particular actions by virtue ofincluding instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus,cause the apparatus to perform the actions.

The foregoing and other embodiments can each optionally include one ormore of the following features, alone or in combination. The methods mayinclude the actions of determining an educational need of the user basedon the monitoring and then presenting educational material to the userbased on the determination. The methods of the financial activities ofthe user may include a percentage of income that is saved. The methodsmay include the actions of comparing the financial activities of theuser to the financial activities of other users that also selected theselected lifestyle archetype and providing feedback may be further basedon the comparison. The methods may include the action of recommendingthe user open a new financial account based on a comparison of financialaccounts of the users and financial accounts common to the other users.The methods may include the action of determining an amount of incomeavailable to service debt. Monitoring the financial activities of theuser may include monitoring the amount of income used to service debt.Providing feedback may include providing negative feedback if the amountof income used to service debt exceeds the amount of income available toservice the debt. The methods may include the actions of comparing thefinancial activities of the user to a second lifestyle archetype whichis different from the user's selected lifestyle archetype, determiningthat the financial activities of the user more match the secondlifestyle archetype, and sending a message asking the user whether theyself-identify with the second lifestyle archetype. The lifestylearchetype may identify at least one spending choice that is a voluntaryfinancial decision.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the changing financial needs of a user over time.

FIG. 2 illustrates a user self-identifying a lifestyle archetype.

FIG. 3 illustrates different subsystems in the adaptive advice andfinancial system.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface of the adaptive adviceand financial system.

FIG. 5 is an architectural representation of the adaptive advice andfinancial system.

FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary user interface to the adaptiveadvice and financial system.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary user interface for presenting incomeinformation to a user.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary user interface 800 for presenting billpayment information.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example user interface presenting individualexpenses in an expense category.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of an exemplary process performed by theadaptive advice and financial system.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Individuals have a broad range of financial expertise. Some make budgetsbut many do not. Some individuals live within their means and many donot. Conventional financial advice is often generic and may seem eitherinapplicable to the user's current situation or would require amonumental shift in the user's behavior that would be difficult toachieve. In some instances, conventional financial advice is ignoredbecause it doesn't take into account the perspective and values of theperson receiving the advice.

The delivery of financial advice and therefore the financial performanceof individuals can be improved by customizing the advice to suit theindividual. Incremental financial advice which encourages the user totake small steps towards a goal can have a greater impact overall thanconventional financial advice with substantial changes to the user'shabits.

The financial advice can be reinforced by taking into account the valuesand desires of the user: how do they like to spend their time; wheredoes their disposable income go; if they need to make a sacrifice, whatdo they give up, etc. In order to facilitate this determination, a usercan select a lifestyle archetype that is representative of the way theuser likes to live. The user's spending habits can be compared to otherusers who have the same lifestyle in order to nudge the user towardsmore sound financial decisions.

FIG. 1 illustrates the changing financial needs of a user over time.Referring to FIG. 1, a user's banking and financial needs change overtime. A child 100 may get their first savings account 102. Over time,the child becomes a young adult 104. The young adult 104 may add achecking account 106 and credit cards 108 or other revolving creditaccounts. As the young adult 104 becomes a young professional 110, hemay add investment accounts 112 and retirement accounts 114. When theyoung professional 110 becomes a family man 116, he may start saving forcollege 118 and become interested in estate planning 120.

This path described above is not absolute; not everyone becomes a youngprofessional or wants to start a family. For example, a young man maystart a business or work in a trade. Further, not every user transitionsat the same time. One user may get out of school and become a youngprofessional immediately while another may spend a year touring Europeor struggling to find work. Others may continue their education.

During each phase of the user's life, the user may have differentinterests and financial goals. The child 100 may be saving for a newbicycle. The young adult 104 may be spending his money on entertainment.The young professional 110 may be looking toward financial stability.The family man may be juggling conflicting interests in saving for hischildren's education and saving for his retirement.

As users face different challenges, they may be receptive to differentkinds of information and education. Some users may be receptive tolessons about compound interest while other users may be receptive toeducation about budgeting, investing, retirement planning, etc.

An adaptive advice and financial system can provide a holistic view intothe financial state of the user, while providing integrated andappropriate educational opportunities. Referring to FIG. 2, in order toprovide appropriate advice and guidance, the system may present a user200 with a number of different lifestyle archetypes. These lifestylearchetypes can represent different kinds of consumers that share commonfinancial needs. For example, the user may self-identify with lifestylearchetypes such as a “pizza and beer” guy 202, a “suit and tie” guy 204,an individual who is “clubbing” guy 208, a “family” guy 210, or “retiredand loving it” guy 212. This list of lifestyle archetypes is notcomplete. Many different other lifestyle archetypes can be defined (forexample, a military office, a socialite, single parent, hunter, etc.).Other lifestyle archetypes can represent temporary conditions thataffect the user's financial state. During a period of unemployment auser may change their lifestyle archetype to “unemployed.” While puttingsomeone through school, the user may change their lifestyle archetype to“paying for college”, etc. When a user's lifestyle archetype changes,the system adapts to the changes by altering the advice, feedback, andrecommendations that the system provides, as discussed further below.

A lifestyle can be described as the user's attitudes, values, and/orworld view. From these attitudes, values, and/or world view, informationabout their financial habits can be inferred. A lifestyle can also bedescribed as the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economiclevel, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of anindividual or group.

A lifestyle archetype describes a way of living that is at leastpartially voluntary or under the direct control of the user. A lifestylearchetype can identify some of the voluntary aspects of a user'slifestyle that are associated with financial decisions, such as spendingpatterns. While user's tend to change their lifestyle archetype overtime (for example, users over the age of 65 are more likely toself-identify with the “retired and loving it” archetype than usersunder the age of 30), the lifestyle archetype on its own does not conveydemographic information. For example, a user under 30 may self-identifywith the “retired and loving it” lifestyle archetype. Another user mayremain a “pizza and beer” guy for his entire life. Another user maychange his archetype over time.

The lifestyle archetype can also be independent of geography. Whilegenerally under the user's control, a user frequently has little day today control over where they live. Choice of location is, in general,more frequently determined by family, education, and employmentconsiderations.

Each of these lifestyle archetypes can be associated with one or moreprofiles. The profile can include information about users whoself-identify with a particular lifestyle archetype. For example, theprofile may identify the kind of accounts the users have, the net worthof these accounts, the distribution of assets, income, savings, andbudget information. In some implementations, the profile information maybe stored as a distribution or percentage (for example, 75% of “suit andtie” guys have a savings account; the average “suit and tie” guy spendsan average of $100 per month eating out with a standard deviation of$30, etc.). In some implementations, a lifestyle archetype may haveseveral different profiles. The profile that is selected for use with aparticular user may be based on additional information about the user,such as location and other demographic information.

Once the user self-identifies with a particular lifestyle archetype, thesystem can use the profile as the basis for providing advice andinformation. In some implementations, identification of the archetypecan be user selected or systematically assigned based on user income,spending behavior, income, debt to income ratio's attitudes, valuesand/or world views.

Referring to FIG. 3, the system can include an account subsystem 302which can present a consolidated view of the accounts of the user 200.In some implementations, the view of the accounts can include allaccounts the user has with a particular institution or may includeaccounts across multiple institutions. For example, a user may be ableto add accounts from other institutions to the system by providing anaccount number and authorizing the system to access the account.

In some scenarios, the account subsystem 302 can facilitate the openingof new accounts. The account subsystem may be integrated with a systemthat can open a new account on behalf of the user or may redirect theuser to another system capable of opening the account. For example, theadvice subsystem described further below may recommend that the useropen a savings account. The advice subsystem may direct the user to theaccount subsystem that can facilitate the opening of the account.

The account subsystem can provide information and tracking informationabout the user's account. Information can include, for example, accountbalances, transaction history, analysis of spending patterns, etc. Forexample, the user can view the account balance in each of the differentaccounts as well as the details of individual transactions (for example,a cash withdrawal, a debit transaction at a grocery store, a credit cardtransaction at the gas station, etc.).

The adaptive advice and financial system can also include an advicesubsystem 304. The advice subsystem can analyze the financial state ofthe user and make recommendations based on the user's lifestylearchetype. In some scenarios, the advice can be based on the financialstate of other users who share the same lifestyle archetype. Forexample, if 95% of the users who associate with a lifestyle archetypehave a savings account then the advice subsystem may recommend the useropen a saving account. The advice can be particular to the user'sspending, as made available by the account subsystem. For example, ifthe average college student spends $100 a month going out and the userspends $150, the advice subsystem may recommend reducing the user'sentertainment expenses.

The advice can also be independent of other users who self-identify withthe lifestyle archetype. For example, the advice subsystem may recommendestate planning regardless of the actions of others in a similar state.However, in general, it is considered advantageous to provide advicethat incrementally increases the fiscal well-being of the user ratherthan recommend drastic changes.

If a user changes their lifestyle archetype the corresponding advice maychange. For example, a savings rate may change to zero for the period oftime that a user is “unemployed.” Similarly, a user who identifies witha “paying for college” archetype may see their recommended savings ratereduced due to the increased expenses.

The advice subsystem 304 can also be particular to the user's situation.For example, the user may inform the system of his intention to purchasea car. Advice about purchasing a car may be provided independent of theparticular lifestyle archetype as similar advice may apply to manydifferent people.

The advice subsystem 304 can also verify that the self-identifiedlifestyle archetype is consistent with the behavior. For example, if theuser has previously identified himself as a “pizza and beer” guy but hisaccounts and behavior seem more like those of a “suit and tie” guy, theadvice subsystem can ask the user if they still self-identify as a“pizza and beer” guy. In some implementations, the system may recommendor preliminarily assign a lifestyle archetype to a user based on ananalysis the financial habits of the user, including, for example,savings, spending patterns, categories of expenses, etc. For example, aperson who saves very little, spends a lot of their disposable income atrestaurants and bars, may have a preliminary categorization of “pizzaand beer guy.”

The advice subsystem 304 can provide education based on the contextualneeds of the user. For example, if the user lacks an emergency fund, theadvice subsystem 304 can present education material about the importanceof an emergency fund. In some implementations, the advice subsystem 304can entice the user to want to learn more about a particular topic (forexample, by asking questions such as “what would you do if your waterheater broke?”).

The adaptive advice and financial system can also include a budgetingsubsystem 306. The budgeting subsystem can include tools to assist theuser in creating and managing a budget. For example, the budgetingsubsystem can create an initial budget based on the spending history ofthe user, as reported by the account subsystem. The budgeting system canalso create an initial budget based on the budgets of others whoself-identify with the same lifestyle archetype as the user. Forexample, the initial budget can be, at least in part, a statisticalfunction of the budgets and/or spending patterns of the others. In someimplementations, the other users that form the basis of the statisticalfunction can be narrowed based on other factors, including demographicand location information. For example, if the user is a male from 24-30who self identifies as a “suit and tie” guy, the initial budget may bedetermined, at least in part, based on other users who self-identify as“suit and tie” guy and who are males in the age range of 24-30.Similarly, if the user lives in a high cost of living area, such as NewYork, the initial budget may be created based on other users who alsolive in a high cost of living area.

In some implementations, the initial budget can also take into accountcharacteristics of the user independent of the lifestyle archetype. Forexample, the initial budget can take into account the income of theuser, the debts of the user, the cost of living in the geographic areawhere the user resides and/or works, and other similar details. Once aninitial budget is created, the budgeting subsystem can enable the userto make adjustments to the budget.

The budgeting subsystem 306 can also track the spending behavior of theuser with respect to the budget. For example, the budgeting system 306can monitor income (for example, direct deposits or other deposittransactions). The budgeting subsystem 306 can also monitor spending.For example, the budgeting system can track the amount that the userspends on groceries, rent, utilities, etc. The budgeting subsystem 306can alert the user when spending has exceeded or is projected to exceedthe allocated budget.

The budgeting subsystem 306 can also provide financial projections basedon the current budget and spending patterns. For example, the budgetingsystem may determine the amount of money a user will have at aparticular milestone or the age at which the user will reach aparticular financial milestone. For example, the budgeting system maycalculate that the user will have saved $50,000 by the time they are 35.

In some implementations, the budgeting subsystem 306 may prevent ordissuade the user from taking a particular action. For example, thebudgeting subsystem 306 may prevent or dissuade the user from taking ondebt that the user does not have the cash flow to service.

In some implementations, the budgeting subsystem 306 can enable the userto set savings goals and track the user's progress toward those savingsgoals. For example, the user may establish a list of savings goalsincluding but not limited to an emergency fund, education funding, largepurchases, and retirement.

In some implementations, the budgeting subsystem 306 can determine abudget based on the spending habits of the user.

The adaptive advice and financial system can also include a feedbacksubsystem 308. The feedback subsystem compares the financial state ofthe user to those of other similarly situated users (for example, userswho self-identify with the same lifestyle archetype, live in the same orsimilar geographic areas, are the same age, have similar educationlevels, etc.). Based on the comparison, the advice subsystem 306 canidentify areas in which the user is performing well or areas in whichthe user is performing poorly. For example, a user may be performingwell if their spending is less or their savings is more than their peergroup.

In some implementations, the feedback subsystem 308 may determine aholistic evaluation of the financial health of the user and may providea single overall rating.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface 400 to the adaptiveadvice and financial system. A user may access the user interface 400,for example, by accessing a secure web page or application executed on acomputational device, such as a computer, a tablet, a smart phone, orother device capable of processing and displaying data.

The user interface displays an income indicator 402, a savings indicator404, a spend indicator 410, a net worth indicator 412, and a borrowlimit indicator 414.

The income indicator 402 can display income from any source or may berestricted to direct deposit or other regular income. Restricting theincome to direct deposit income or other regular income can provide abetter view into the financial state of the user. As most expenses areregular and repeating, a better picture of financial health can beobtained by restricting the income used to service those repeatingexpenses to regular and not windfall income. In this example, the incomeindicator 402 indicates that the user receives a direct deposit of$3,500 per month. The income indicator is connected to the savingsindicator 404 by a directed arrow 418. The directed arrow 418 indicatesthat income, as illustrated by the income indicator, provides the basisfor the savings indicator.

The user's savings indicator 404 displays information about the amountof money (e.g. from the income indicator 402) that the user has electedto save. The user's savings indicator can display the dollar amount theuser is savings and/or a percentage of their income that the user issaving. In this example the savings indicator 404 shows that the userhas elected to save 10% of their income or $350 per month.

The user interface 400 can also include a slider 406 associated with theuser's savings indicator that allows the user to adjust the amount thatthey save. As the user moves the slider 406, the amount and percentagedisplayed in the savings indicator 404 decreases or increases.

The user interface 400 can also include a feedback indicator 408 whichprovides feedback about the user's savings. The feedback can be a simplepositive, neutral, or negative indicator (for example, a happy face, aneutral face or a sad face; or a thumps up, thumps down, or thumbssideways). As the user moves the slider 406, the feedback indicator canchange to reflect the decrease or increase in savings.

In some implementations, the feedback indicator 408 may be based on acomparison of the user to other users who identify with the samelifestyle archetype. For example, if the user has self-identified with alifestyle archetype that has a relatively low saving rate (for example3%) then a lower savings rate by the user (for example 5%) may result ina positive feedback indicator. However, if that same user hasself-identified with a lifestyle archetype associated with a relativelyhigher savings rate (for example, 10%) then the same 5% savings rate mayresult in a negative feedback indicator.

The spend indicator 410 displays the amount of money that the user hasavailable to spend on nonessential or entertainment related items. Ingeneral, the spend can be the difference between the amount indicated inthe income indicator 402 and the amount the user is saving coupled withthe amount of expenses the user incurs each month. The information aboutthe user's expenses can be drawn, for example, from a budgetingsubsystem, such as the budgeting subsystem 306 of FIG. 3.

The net worth indicator 412 can display the total amount of assets ownedby the user. In some implementations, the net worth indicator 412 candisplay the total value of the liquid assets owned by the user. Theamount that the user elects to save (e.g., using the savings indicator404) increases the user's net worth, as illustrated by a directed arrow420. In other implementations, the net worth indicator 412 can displaythe total value of all the assets owned by the user (for example, theamount displayed by the net worth indicator may include the user's homeequity). The net worth information may be provided by an accountsubsystem (for example, the account subsystem 302 of FIG. 3).

The borrow limit indicator 414 displays the total amount of credit orborrowing that is available to the user. The borrow limit may becalculated based on the user's income, any outstanding debts that theuser has, the amount of money that the user spends servicing the debt,and the amounts of money that the user has available to service thedebt.

The user interface 400 can also display a projection 416 of the user'sfuture financial state. The projection can serve as a motivational toolto encourage the user to increase their savings. In this example, theprojection 416 indicates that the user will have $50,000 by 2023.

The amount displayed by the spend indicator 410, the amount displayed bythe borrow limit indicator 414, and the projection 416 may be changed asthe user adjusts the slider 406. For example, if a user elects to savemore, they have less available to spend. If a user elects to save less,he will have less money in the future. If a user elects to save more,they will have less income available to service debt. As the userinteracts with their borrow limit, the system can automatically adjustspending limits and automatically establish payments to those creditlimits.

Referring to FIG. 5, the user may access the user interface 400 on asmart phone 502. The user interface may also be accessed on a tablet,personal computer, or any other device capable of receiving informationover a network and displaying the information to the user.

The smart phone 502 may communicate with an application server 506 overa network 504 (for example, the Internet). The communication can besecured using conventional encryption technology (for example, theSecure Socket Layer (SSL) communication protocol).

The application servers 506 may execute one or more subsystems. Anapplication server may execute one or more subsystems and each subsystemmay be running on one or more application servers. Communications fromthe smart phone 502 may be routed to the appropriate application serverusing conventional routing techniques.

The application servers 506 can execute the accounting subsystem 302,the advice subsystem 304, the budgeting subsystem 306 and the feedbacksubsystem 308, as discussed above.

Additionally, the application servers 506 may execute an educationsubsystem. The education subsystem may include documents, videorecordings, audio records, and other educational materials that aredesigned to educate about financial matters. The advice subsystem 304may identify a topic of education for a user (for example, making abudget). The advice subsystem 304 may interact with the educationsubsystem 508 to identify and present education material to the user.

The application servers 506 may also include an external accountinterface 510. The external account interface accesses accountinformation that is not otherwise available to the account subsystem302. For example, the user may have a credit card with an external bankhowever, the user may have given permission to the adaptive account andadvice system to access information about the account. Following apredetermined protocol, the external account interface 510 may obtainthe account information from the external bank.

The application servers 506 may include a user interface subsystem 512.The user interface subsystem may generate user interfaces for someplatforms. For example, the user interface may generate or otherwiseprovide a web page provided to a web browser on the client device. Theuser interface subsystem may also receive information from the user (forexample, input that the user provides to the user interface 400).

The application servers may also include a sales subsystem 514. When theadvice subsystem 304 recommends that the user obtain a particular typeof financial account or open a particular type of financial instrument,the sale subsystem 514 can present the user with details about theparticular type of account or financial instrument offered by theinstitution.

The application servers 506 may access data from data servers 516. Theapplication servers 506 may communicate with the data servers 516 over anetwork (for example, a local area network). The data servers 516 storedata that is used by the application servers. For example, the dataservers 516 may contain a history database 518 that stores account andtransaction history. The data servers 516 may also contain a lifestylearchetype database 510 that stores the lifestyle archetypes with whichthe user may identify. The lifestyle archetype database 510 may alsostore the profile information associated with the lifestyle archetypes.

FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary user interface 600 to the adaptiveadvice and financial system. The adaptive financial system may displaydifferent user interfaces for different users. For example, the userinterface 400 of FIG. 4 may be appropriate and displayed to users duringthe asset acquisition phase of their financial life. The user interface600 of FIG. 6 may be appropriate for users who are depleting theirassets. A user may be managing the depletion of assets for a variety ofdifferent reasons; for example, a user may be retired. The user may alsobe unemployed or underemployed. The user may be paying educationalexpenses (either their own, their spouse's, or those of one or morechildren). The user may be paying medical expenses associated with anillness. In some implementations, each of these states may be associatedwith a different lifestyle archetype. As described above, the adviceprovided by the adaptive advice system will be determined based on thelifestyle archetype.

The user interface 600 is associated with asset depletion. The incomeindicator 602 can display income from any source or may be restricted todirect deposit or other regular income. In this example, income frommultiple sources is combined into income indicator 602. The user canselect the income element 602 to be presented with additional detailabout the user's income, as discussed further below.

The withdrawal indicator 604 is used to control the withdrawal of moneyfrom the net worth of the user. In this example, the directed arrow 620illustrates the flow of money from the net worth indicator 612 to thewithdrawal indicator 604. The withdrawal indicator 604 enables a user toselect the amount of their net worth that they would like to use forregular expenses. The amount may be selected as a fixed amount (e.g.$500) or as a percentage (e.g. 1%). In some implementations, thewithdrawal indicator 604 and a savings indicator (e.g., the savingsindicator 404 of FIG. 4) may be a single component. A positive amount ina combined savings/withdrawal indicator may indicate that income isbeing saved, and thereby contributing to net worth. A negative amount ona combined savings/withdrawal indicator may indicate that the income, ifany, of the user is being supplemented by taking money from their networth.

The system can identify the components of the net worth that are liquidand those that are not. For example, a user may not be able to accessthe funds in a 401K or real estate.

The user interface 600 can also include a feedback indicator 608 whichprovides feedback about the user's withdrawal rate and other financialdecisions. As above, the feedback can be a simple positive, neutral, ornegative indicator (for example, a happy face, a neutral face or a sadface; or a thumps up, thumps down, or thumbs sideways). As the usermoves the slider 406, the feedback indicator can change to reflect thedecrease or increase in savings.

Because the feedback indicator 608 may be based on a comparison of theuser to other users who identify with the same lifestyle archetype,financial conditions that are not objectively optimal may still becontextually good decisions and result in a positive feedback indicator.For example, an unemployed individual who is minimizing their withdrawalrate may receive a positive feedback indicator (e.g. smiley face),whereas a “suit and tie guy” may receive a negative feedback indicator(e.g. frowny face) if the user is not saving. In some instances, theuser can click on the feedback indicator to get more information as towhy the indictor is set to a particular position. For example, a usermay select a negative feedback indicator to determine why the indicatoris negative (e.g., ‘Why is this a frown?’). The system can display alist of the factor that contributed to the negative feedback indicator,for example, a low savings rate, too much debt, too much disposableincome spent on entertainment, etc.

The spend indicator 610 displays the amount of money that the user hasavailable to spend on nonessential or entertainment related items. Ingeneral, spend represented by the spend indicator 610 can be thedifference between the amount indicated in the income indicator 402, theamount the user is withdrawing from net worth each month (as illustratedby the withdrawal indicator 604), and the bills and other expenses theuser pays (e.g. utility bills, grocery items, clothing, etc.). Theinformation about the user's expenses can be drawn, for example, from abudgeting subsystem, such as the budgeting subsystem 306 of FIG. 3.

The net worth indicator 612 illustrates the user's current net worth.The net worth of the user may include items such as investment accounts,savings accounts, and other financial investments. In someimplementations, the network indicator 612 may include a breakdown ofliquid assets and total assets. Liquid assets are assets that can beconverted into cash quickly and with minimal impact to the pricereceived. Liquid assets include, for example, cash, securities, preciousmetals. Total assets can include liquid and illiquid assets. Illiquidassets are assets that cannot be converted into cash quickly without animpact to the price received. Illiquid assets include, for example, realestate. The net worth indicator 612 may reflect a subset of the assetsthe user owns. For example, the net worth indicator 612 may not reflectthe value of the user's clothes, automobile, or other similar assets.

The borrow limit indicator 614 displays the total amount of credit orborrowing that is available to the user. The borrow limit may becalculated based on the user's income, any outstanding debts that theuser has, the amount of money that the user spends servicing the debt,and the amounts of money that the user has available to service thedebt.

The user interface 600 can also display a projection 616 of the user'sfuture financial state. The projection can serve as a motivational andinformational tool to enable the user to manage their spending. In thisexample, the projection 616 indicates that the user can spend at thecurrent rate until 2032.

As discussed above, after selecting the income indicator 602, the usermay be presented with a user interface that provides additional detailsabout the user's income. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplaryuser interface 700 for presenting income information to a user. In thisexample, different sources of income are presented (for example, asocial security income source 702, a reverse mortgage income source 704,and a pension income source 706). The user interface graphicallycombines the sources of income into a single income total 708. Otherpresentations can also be used. For example, sources of income may bepresented in a tabular form, as a pictograph, pictures. In someimplementations, the pictures may be selected to create an emotionalconnection between the user and their money. In some implementations,the size of the picture may be indicative of the relative size of thecorresponding expenditure, for example, if an expense category ischildren's expenses and the transactions are aligned to differentchildren. In one view you get a sense that one child is spending twiceas much as another child based on the size of their picture.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary user interface 800 for presenting billpayment information. In this example, the available funds are presentedcentrally in an available funds indicator 806. The amount presented inthe available funds indicator may be, for example, income adjusted bysavings or withdrawal from net worth. For example, the user interface600 of FIG. 6 shows an income of $2,500 and a withdrawal from net worthof $500. Returning to FIG. 8, the available funds indicator 806 presentsthe total amount of $3,000.

Directed arrows show the available funds being distributed to servicevarious expenses. In some implementations, the expenses can be presentedin categories of related expenses. For example, the user interface 800includes a clothing category indicator 802, an insurance categoryindicator 810, a utilities category indicator 808, and a food categoryindicator 806.

Each expense category indicator can have an amount associated with thecategory. For example, the expenses include $1200 for housing, $400 forutilities, $700 for food, and $350 for clothing. The amount indicated bythe spend indicator 804 is the amount in available funds indicator 806minus the amount allocated to the various expense categories. In thisexample, the spend is $350.

In some implementations, the expenses may not be organized into expensecategories but may instead be presented as individual expenses orindividual payees. The expenses may also be presented in tabular form(for example, in a table that identifies each of the individual expensesor expense categories along with an associated amount).

In some implementations, selecting one of the expense categoryindicators (e.g., the utilities indicator 808) causes the user interfaceto present individual expenses within the expense category. For example,the utilities indicator may be associated with individual expenses fortelevision, gas, water, electricity, etc.

In some implementations, the system may ask the user before paying theexpenses. The system may, for example, provide the user with anotification that a bill or expense is going to be paid and ask the userfor confirmation. The user may be able to respond to the confirmationusing a yes/no interface presented on a client device.

In some implementations, the user may be able to customize thenotifications. For example, the user may be able to specify a thresholdamount over which the user must give approval (for example, the user maybe provided with an approval notification for all charges over $100).The user may be able to specify a threshold amount per category or payee(for example, the user may be provided with an approval notification forelectric bills over $150 or for payment to a predetermined payee over$150).

In some implementations, the threshold may be a percentage over a norm,the norm may be calculated over a period of time (such as 6 months, ayear, or multiple years) or may be determined based on the last payment(for example, the user may be provided with an approval notification isthe amount to be paid exceeds the previous amount to be paid by 10% orexceeds a running average by %10). The norm may also be calculatedseasonally (e.g. heat is expected to be higher in the winter,electricity is expected to be higher in the summer, etc.). The systemmay perform a trend analysis on different expenses to determine anexpected amount. For example, the system may account for a regionalincrease in the cost of heat.

In some implementations, expenses may be grouped together by the user.For example, the user may combine electricity and heating together intoan aggregate category. As the heating bill rises in the winter, theelectric bills falls. Therefore, the user may wish to be provided withan approval notification only if the combined heat and electric billchanges substantially (e.g. greater than a threshold).

In some implementations, the system can compare the expenses of the userto the expenses of their peers. The user may be notified, for example,if the user's expenses are substantially different than their peers(e.g. greater than a threshold). For example, if the user's peers startspending less on heat the user may be notified of a potential costsavings opportunity.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example user interface for presenting individualexpenses in an expense category. In this example, the utilities categoryindicator 912 is presented centrally on the user interface 900.Different expenses that are part of the utility expense category arepresented to the user.

For example, a telephone expense indicator 902, a cable expenseindicator 904, a gas expense indicator 906, an electric expenseindicator 908, and a water & sewer expense indicator 910 are presentedto the user. Directional arrows flow from the expense indicators to theutility category indicator 912.

In some implementations, each expense indicator may be associated withbills that are paid to individual payees.

As discussed above, the expense information may also be presented in atabular form. In some implementations, the presentation of the expenseinformation may vary depending on the amount of information to bepresented. For example, the structure of the user interface 900 may beappropriate for expense categories or other user interfaces that displaya relatively small amount of information (for example, 5-10 expenses).In scenarios, where more information needs to be presented to the user,another structure, such as a table, may be presented. The determinationto change from one type of user interface presentation to another may bedetermined by comparing the amount of information to be presented to apredetermined threshold. If the amount of information to be presentedexceeds the threshold (e.g., 8 items) then the information may bepresented in a tabular form. If the amount of information to bepresented is less than the threshold, then the information may bepresented as shown in FIG. 9. Additionally or alternatively, a similardetermination can be made for the information presented in FIGS. 7 and8.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of an exemplary process 1000 performed by theadaptive advice and financial system.

The process 1000 receives 1002, a lifestyle archetype selection of auser. The lifestyle archetype selection is a self-identification with aparticular lifestyle archetype. The lifestyle archetype is associatedwith a predetermined allocation of income and spending.

The process 1000 monitors 1004 financial activities of the user. Theprocess can monitor the user's income and spending habits. For example,the process 1000 can determine an amount the user spends in differentcategories, including utilities, groceries, clothes, interest payments,etc.

The process 1000 compares 1006, the financial activities of the user, tothe financial activities of other users having the lifestyle archetype.For example, the process may compare the savings rate of the user to theaverage savings rate of other users having the same lifestyle archetype.

The process 1000 provides 1008 feedback to the user based on thecomparison. The feedback can be, for example, a smiley face when theuser's financial activities are more favorable than the other users or afrowning face when the user's financial activities are less favorablethan the other users.

Embodiments of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, in tangibly-embodied computer software or firmware, incomputer hardware, including the structures disclosed in thisspecification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations ofone or more of them. Embodiments of the subject matter described in thisspecification can be implemented as one or more computer programs (i.e.,one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on atangible non-transitory program carrier for execution by, or to controlthe operation of, data processing apparatus). The computer storagemedium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readablestorage substrate, a random or serial access memory device, or acombination of one or more of them.

The term “data processing apparatus” refers to data processing hardwareand encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines forprocessing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, acomputer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can also beor further include special purpose logic circuitry (e.g., an FPGA (fieldprogrammable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integratedcircuit)). The apparatus can optionally include, in addition tohardware, code that creates an execution environment for computerprograms (e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocolstack, a database management system, an operating system, or acombination of one or more of them).

A computer program, which may also be referred to or described as aprogram, software, a software application, a module, a software module,a script, or code, can be written in any form of programming language,including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative orprocedural languages. It can be deployed in any form, including as astand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unitsuitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, butneed not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be storedin a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one ormore scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single filededicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files(e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub-programs, or portionsof code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on onecomputer or on multiple computers that are located at one site ordistributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a datacommunication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable computers executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry (e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit)).

Computers suitable for the execution of a computer program, by way ofexample, can be based on general or special purpose microprocessors orboth, or any other kind of central processing unit. Generally, a centralprocessing unit will receive instructions and data from a read-onlymemory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of acomputer are a central processing unit for performing or executinginstructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions anddata. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupledto receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more massstorage devices for storing data (e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks,or optical disks), however, a computer need not have such devices.Moreover, a computer can be embedded in another device (e.g., a mobiletelephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or videoplayer, a game console, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, or aportable storage device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive)to name just a few).

Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer programinstructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, mediaand memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memorydevices (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices); magnetic disks(e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto-optical disks;and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can besupplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subjectmatter described in this specification can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquidcrystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user and akeyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by whichthe user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices canbe used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example,feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback) and input fromthe user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, ortactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user bysending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is usedby the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on auser's device in response to requests received from the web browser.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can beimplemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component(e.g., as a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g.,an application server), or that includes a front-end component (e.g., aclient computer having a graphical user interface or a web browserthrough which a user can interact with an implementation of the subjectmatter described in this specification), or any combination of one ormore such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The componentsof the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digitaldata communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples ofcommunication networks include a local area network (LAN) and a widearea network (WAN), e.g., the Internet.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship between client andserver arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In someembodiments, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a userdevice (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving userinput from a user interacting with the user device), which acts as aclient. Data generated at the user device (e.g., a result of the userinteraction) can be received from the user device at the server.

While this specification contains many specific implementation details,these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of anyinvention or on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather asdescriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodimentsof particular inventions. Certain features that are described in thisspecification in the context of separate embodiments can also beimplemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures that are described in the context of a single embodiment canalso be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in anysuitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be describedabove as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed assuch, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some casesbe excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may bedirected to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system modulesand components in the embodiments described above should not beunderstood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and itshould be understood that the described program components and systemscan generally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Otherembodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example,the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different orderand still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processesdepicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require theparticular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirableresults. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may beadvantageous.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method comprising:receiving data indicating a user-selected lifestyle archetype of a user,wherein the user-selected lifestyle archetype identifies a predeterminedallocation of income and spending; retrieving, by a central processingunit of a computer system, data from a database, the data representingfinancial activities of the user; monitoring, by a computer system, thefinancial activities of the user; executing, by an application server, afeedback subsystem; comparing, by the feedback subsystem, the financialactivities of the user with the financial activities of at least onedifferent user having selected a user-selected lifestyle archetypesubstantially similar to the user-selected lifestyle archetype of theuser, wherein the financial activities comprise a savings rate;generating, by the feedback subsystem, a rating of the user at leastpartially based on the comparing of the financial activities of the userwith the financial activities of the at least one different user,wherein when the savings rate of the user is higher than the savingsrate of the at least one different user, the rating of the user ishigher than a rating of the at least one different user; sending, by thecomputer system, first graphical user interface data that when renderedon a display device of a user device of the user renders a firstgraphical user interface with one or more visual representationsrepresenting a feedback indicator that indicates the generated rating;comparing, by the computer system, the financial activities of the userto a second lifestyle archetype different from the user-selectedlifestyle archetype; determining, by the computer system, that thefinancial activities of the user more match the second lifestylearchetype relative to the user-selected lifestyle archetype; sending, bythe computer system, second graphical user interface data that whenrendered on the display device of the user device renders a secondgraphical user interface that prompts the user to confirm that theyself-identify with the second lifestyle archetype; receiving, by thecomputer system through the second graphical user interface, feedbackinput from the user device, the feedback input indicating that the userconfirmed that they self-identify with the second lifestyle archetype;updating one or more portions of memory designated for the user withfeedback data associated with the feedback input; updating, by thefeedback subsystem and responsive to receiving the feedback input, therating of the user based on the second lifestyle archetype; and sending,by the computer system, third graphical user interface data that whenrendered on the display device of the user device renders a thirdgraphical user interface with one or more visual representationsrepresenting a feedback indicator that indicates the updated rating. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining an educationalneed of the user based on the monitoring; and presenting educationalmaterial to the user based on the determined educational need.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the financial activities of the user includesa percentage of income that is saved.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: recommending the user open a new financial account based ona comparison of financial accounts of the user and financial accountscommon to the at least one different user.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising: determining an amount of income available to servicedebt of the user; wherein monitoring the financial activities of theuser includes monitoring the amount of income used to service debt; andwherein generating the rating of the user is further based on themonitoring the amount of income used to service debt and the determinedamount of income available to service debt.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the user-selected lifestyle archetype identifies at least onespending choice that is a voluntary financial decision.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the user-selected lifestyle archetype is representativeof the way the user prefers to live.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe user-selected lifestyle archetype is representative of a phase inthe user's life.
 9. The method of claim 1, where in the user-selectedlifestyle archetype is representative of at least one of as the user'sattitudes, values, and world views.
 10. A system comprising: one or morecomputers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that areoperable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the oneor more computers to perform operations comprising: receiving, from auser, data indicating a user-selected lifestyle archetype of the user,wherein the user-selected lifestyle archetype identifies a predeterminedallocation of income and spending; retrieving data from a database, thedata representing financial activities of the user; executing abudgeting subsystem configured to monitor the financial activities ofthe user; executing a feedback subsystem configured to: compare thefinancial activities of the user with the financial activities of atleast one different user having selected a user-selected lifestylearchetype substantially similar to the user-selected lifestyle archetypeof the user, wherein the financial activities comprise a savings rate;and generate a rating of the user at least partially based on thecomparing of the financial activities of the user with the financialactivities of the at least one different user, wherein when the savingsrate of the user is higher than the savings rate of the at least onedifferent user, the rating of the user is higher than a rating of the atleast one different user; and executing an advice subsystem configuredto: send first graphical user interface data that when rendered on adisplay device of a user device of the user renders a first graphicaluser interface with one or more visual representations representing afeedback indicator that indicates the generated rating; compare thefinancial activities of the user to a second lifestyle archetype,different from the user-selected lifestyle archetype; determine that thefinancial activities of the user more match the second lifestylearchetype relative to the user-selected lifestyle archetype; send secondgraphical user interface data that when rendered on the display deviceof the user device renders a second graphical user interface thatprompts the user to confirm that they self-identify with the secondlifestyle archetype; receive, through the second graphical userinterface, feedback input from the user device, the feedback inputindicating that the user confirmed that they self-identify with thesecond lifestyle archetype; update one or more portions of memorydesignated for the user with the feedback data associated with thefeedback input; and send third graphical user interface data that whenrendered on the display device of the user device renders a thirdgraphical user interface with one or more visual representationsrepresenting a feedback indicator that indicates an updated rating, theupdated rating being generated by the feedback subsystem based on thesecond lifestyle archetype.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein theadvice subsystem is further configured to: determine an educational needof the user based on the monitoring; and send fourth graphical userinterface data that when rendered on the display device of the userdevice renders a fourth graphical user interface that presentseducational material to the user based on the determining.
 12. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the financial activities of the userincludes a percentage of income to be saved.
 13. The system of claim 10,wherein: the advice subsystem is further configured to recommend theuser open a new financial account based on a comparison of financialaccounts of the user and financial accounts common to the at least onedifferent user.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein: the budgetingsubsystem is configured to determine an amount of income available toservice debt; monitoring the financial activities of the user includesmonitoring the amount of income used to service debt; and generating therating of the user is further based on the monitoring the amount ofincome used to service debt and the amount of income available toservice debt.
 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the lifestylearchetype identifies at least one spending choice that is a voluntaryfinancial decision.
 16. A non-transitory computer storage medium encodedwith computer program instructions that when executed by one or morecomputers cause the one or more computers to perform operationscomprising: receiving data indicating a user-selected lifestylearchetype of a user, wherein the user-selected lifestyle archetypeidentifies a predetermined allocation of income and spending; retrievingdata from a database, the data representing financial activities of theuser monitoring the financial activities of the user; comparing thefinancial activities of the user with the financial activities of atleast one different user having selected a user-selected lifestylearchetype substantially similar to the user-selected lifestyle archetypeof the user, wherein the financial activities comprise a savings rate;generating a rating of the user at least partially based on thecomparing of the financial activities of the user with the financialactivities of the at least one different user, wherein when the savingsrate of the user is higher than the savings rate of the at least onedifferent user, the rating of the user is higher than a rating of the atleast one different user; sending, by the computer system, firstgraphical user interface data that when rendered on a display device ofa user device of the user renders a first graphical user interface withone or more visual representations representing a feedback indicatorthat indicates the generated rating; comparing the financial activitiesof the user to a second lifestyle archetype different from theuser-selected lifestyle archetype; determining that the financialactivities of the user more match the second lifestyle archetyperelative to the user-selected lifestyle archetype; sending secondgraphical user interface data that when rendered on the display deviceof the user device renders a second graphical user interface thatprompts the user to confirm that they self-identify with the secondlifestyle archetype; receiving through the second graphical userinterface, feedback input from the user device, the feedback inputindicating that the user confirmed that they self-identify with thesecond lifestyle archetype; updating one or more portions of memorydesignated for the user with feedback data associated with the feedbackinput; updating, responsive to receiving the feedback input, the ratingof the user based on the second lifestyle archetype; and sending thirdgraphical user interface data that when rendered on the display deviceof the user device renders a third graphical user interface with one ormore visual representations representing a feedback indicator thatindicates the updated rating.
 17. The non-transitory computer storagemedium of claim 16, further comprising: determining an educational needof the user based on the monitoring; and presenting educational materialto the user based on the determined educational need.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein thefinancial activities of the user includes a percentage of income that issaved.
 19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16,further comprising: recommending the user open a new financial accountbased on a comparison of financial accounts of the users and financialaccounts common to the at least one different user.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:determining an amount of income available to service debt of the user;wherein monitoring the financial activities of the user includesmonitoring the amount of income used to service debt; and whereingenerating the rating of the user is further based on the monitoring theamount of income used to service debt and the amount of income availableto service debt.
 21. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim16, wherein the user-selected lifestyle archetype identifies at leastone spending choice that is a voluntary financial decision.